Can Broody Hens get better at hatching their eggs?

[Kizmit]

My two young Cochins went broody for the first time and I allowed them to sit on eggs. I removed any eggs that hadn't developed by day 10, leaving 7 between the two chickens. We didn't have much success and I'm wondering if it's the hens being young, the conditions, genetics or just bad luck.

2 looked shrink wrapped and dead - most of the outer shell gone,
2 pipped but never went any further
2 never pipped and looked like they hadn't quite developed
1 hatched - 4 days old now and he looks strong and healthy

The hens have been in closed off areas to other hens and I did not candle or intervene from day 17 onwards. Both hens only left the eggs once a day max - and not at all from day 17 onwards (I put food and water in with them from this point).

A few of the eggs were the Cochin's eggs and were quite small (they starting laying just a few months back) - could that cause problems? The other eggs were a mix of ex-battery hens (which all looked dud at day 10) and Legbars. The one which hatched was one of the Legbar eggs.

I wasn't expecting to hatch loads, but these do feel like very low success rates and I'm not sure how to improve. Any helpful ideas?

Thanks

Thanks

 

[DobieLover]

could that cause problems?

Absolutely. It's never a good idea to set small, undersized pullet eggs.

ex-battery hens

Very sadly, ex-batts were not bred for good quality genes. Just to crank out eggs for eating.

I don't think this had anything at all to do with the pullets that set the eggs other than the possibility of too much jostling of the eggs during hatch because of having 2 birds setting together.

Next year, just let one hen set at a time. You can break the other in a broody breaker and let her have her turn later in the year if she goes broody again.

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC! I think that post #2 has answered your questions. Your young pullets will do better next year, and I imagine you'll have lots of successful hatchings from them.
If you have any pics of the new chick, we'd love to see it....

 

[LaFleche]

You can let them set at the same time, but each broody would need her individual nest in a separated space.

Deworming the flock and making sure there are no external parasites at least two weeks prior to collecting hatching eggs and providing some poultry vitamin additives to their water can increase the hatch rate immensely.
Only set clean, unwashed and rather fresh eggs (up to 10 days old) of normal size with a strong shells laid by healthy hens. Mark them and set them all at the same time. Porous egg shells often lead to breakage or shrink wrapping.

 

[Kizmit]

Absolutely. It's never a good idea to set small, undersized pullet eggs.

Very sadly, ex-batts were not bred for good quality genes. Just to crank out eggs for eating.

I don't think this had anything at all to do with the pullets that set the eggs other than the possibility of too much jostling of the eggs during hatch because of having 2 birds setting together.

Next year, just let one hen set at a time. You can break the other in a broody breaker and let her have her turn later in the year if she goes broody again.

Thanks for the help!